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Diggin' Deep:World Changers
by T. Suzanne Eller (Suzie's bio)
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Isaiah 61:1-3:
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord 's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Do you know that you can change the world?
"Wait a minute, Suzie," you might say. "That's a lot of responsibility to place on my shoulders." It may seem that way, but God has anointed you. Through his power you can be a part of impacting your world.
One of the reasons that being a "world changer" is so intimidating is that we aren't sure what to do. Do we march in a protest line? Do we write letters to the editor about violence on TV? Do we volunteer at the nursing home? Do we pray three hours a day?
How in the world can one person change the world???????????????
The good news is that God gave us a blueprint. Take a minute and read Luke 4:18-19. Sound familiar? The same message that Isaiah shared way back then is still relevant today. Jesus told the church, "this is exactly why I came".
We can follow his example and use it as a blueprint to change our world. In fact, let's call this our Destiny List.
There are three world-changing tasks on this list. They are:
1. Preach the gospel to the poor
2. Heal the broken-hearted
3. Proclaim liberty to the captives
Preach the Good News to the Poor
Today, we'll look at the first task. God consistently told his people to care for the poor, the widows, and the motherless throughout both the old and new testament. You could say that the plight of the poor was God's heartbeat.
When he instructs us to bring the message of the gospel to the poor, many think of this as preaching only. Yet, Jesus fed and healed the poor. Very rarely did he minister to them spiritually before he reached out and touched their physical needs.
Recognize the Need
My daughter and two of her friends recently conducted an experiment. They are Bible students and minister to homeless teens in downtown Dallas, TX. They decided that they couldn't effectively share the gospel unless they understood what these teens face. So, they went undercover! For three days these teens lived as homeless. They panhandled for money. They went hungry.
"I felt as if I became faceless," my daughter, Melissa said. "People walked around me and looked at me in disgust. I was embarrassed and felt dirty. People looked at me as if I were invisible. I only needed $7 a day to be able to sleep at the mission, but some days I only made 50 cents. I was thankful for those who stopped and gave me a kind word. By the third day kind words were as valuable as the quarters and dollars."
So, our first step is to notice the needs of others, and then to reach out and share the gospel to the poor. Share a kind word with those who are struggling financially.
Let's ask God today to open our eyes to the needs of others.
Making It Real!
1. What one lifestyle change is God calling you to make?
2. In what way is God calling you to minister to someone in need?
3. How will you set the example and set the standard for others to follow?
Next month, we'll look at Task Two: Mending the Broken Hearted.
Memorize Luke 4:18-19
Copyright 2001, 2002, Real Teens, Real Stories, Real Life, T. Suzanne Eller, Dare To Believe. Permission must be granted to reprint any item in any form. Please feel free to send the newsletter in its entirety to your friends. The stories and poems should not be added to a web site without permission of T. Suzanne Eller or the individual author.
Crosshome.com is a mirrored site and has permission to publish this newsletter for teens.
| About T. Suzanne Eller: T. Suzanne Eller is an author and inspirational speaker. She has published over 300 articles in magazines such as Today's Christian Woman, Guideposts, Woman's World and numerous others. Her story was recently featured on PAX network's "It's a Miracle". She has a passion for teens, speaking and working with teens across the nation. E-mail T. Suzanne Eller |
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